haven't gone through all the posts so apologies if it has already been mentioned.
The Mighty Fine in Portsmouth. Drunk there when i was in the Navy, in my first visit (a Sunday lunchtime) I saw two whore's fighting which resulted in one of them being carted off to hospital with half her face missing, amazing the damage that a bottle can do. One of the bar staff was a dwarf and he was regularly hung up on a coat hook, this day he took exception to this and when he was finally let down he sneaked up on the guy that did it and beat him about the head with a glass ashtray rendering the poor sod unconscious. Queue visit from the local constabulary for the second time within an hour ( they weren't the least bit surprised!). In subsequent visits I saw some very educational floor shows from the local ladies (very nice), a guy get stabbed (not very nice) he lived but only just. Some bloke who was acting the arsehole was beaten senseless, stripped naked and chucked out into the street and the normal fights that occurred night in night out. This was in the early eighties and I was reliably informed that the place had toned down since the 70's. It had no windows as the brewery was sick of replacing them every other day. A bloody nightmare but as very niave and innocent 17 year old it was great fun, if I'd been a few years older I wouldn't have gone anywhere near the place. I went back in about '92 to discover that the bastards had turned it into a wine bar/ restaurant
There was reportedly a similar place in Leeds, down one of its hidden alleyways, that had no glass. The bar itself was a hole in a brick wall, where punters paid for their beer.
I can understand some locals being rough, or have rough clientale, around here in Hackney there are more than a fair few.
I have never understood why people want to go to the type of places listed directly above.
As it happens, I have forgot what would have been my local. It is now a recording/ filming studio.
A classic east end boozer in appearance. But in the 90's it was at its lowest.
It was on the corner of a road which flared up into riots in the 80's.
It was (with an adjacent community centre) the centre point of the local drugs trade, doorways, steps walls were littered with low life shooting themselves up. And suppliers openly walking around with baseball bats, knives.
The Stoke Newington Police were taking back handers and ignored the trade.
I had some northern mates who lived in the area at the time, builders, who had worked and drank every where, this was the only area, where they took taxi's from door to door!
Finally, following an increasing build up of fights, stabbings and then open gun battles. Resulting in several bodies being left in the street.
The pub was closed, the community centre was closed, literally the entire Stoke Newington POlice force was removed, a row of houses controlled by druggies were bulldoxed down and we innocently (well we knew Dalston was rough but not this dangerous) moved in.
We wish we had a decent local though.
Reigate ? what didnt they cut the crusts off the cucumber sandwiches
?
yes hope it stays that way, we cant have people taking liberties on our patch
isnt he the bloke that killed that german student years ago ?
No comment.
